Nyandarua Farmers Offer to Share Excess Food Rotting in Farms, Ask Gov’t to Distribute to Drought Affected Areas

A section of farmers from Nyandarua County are asking the government to collect excess food and distribute to countries grappling with drought.

At the moment, at least 28 counties are affected by drought with over 4 million Kenyans grappling with hunger with no stable source of food.

In a report on Citizen TV, the farmers said their fresh produce are going to waste since the food is not fetching the desired price in the market.

It is for this matter that the farmers have challenged the national government to collect the food and share with Kenyan in drought affected areas.

“At a time like this when we hear that other counties are grappling with drought, we are saddened because the government is in a position to come and collect food and distribute to them,” Reuben Kibwana, a farmer in Nyandarua said.

In other news, pastrolists in Kajiado County are counting losses due to the ongoing drought that has seen prices of livestock drop drastically as farmers rush to dispose of weak and starving animals.

For instance, in Bisil market, pastrolists are selling sheep and goats for as low as KSh 100 while a cow is selling for a throw-away price of KSh 500.

Before the drought, the cows would go for between KSh 20,000 and KSh 50,000.

Earlier this month, President William Ruto lifted the ban on genetically modified (GM) food products in response to the drought.

In a meeting with the Cabinet, the Head of State said the lift on the ban will improve crop yields and food security in East Africa.

The Cabinet considered a wide range of proposals relating to climate change adaptation, reducing Kenya’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture through increased irrigation, and the planting of diverse and drought-resistant crops.

The decision was reached in accordance with the recommendation of the Task Force to Review Matters Relating to Genetically Modified Foods and Food Safety, and in fidelity with the guidelines of the National Biosafety Authority on all applicable international treaties including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB).